Collapsible crate, box, and the like



J. ELLIS. I 'COLLAPSlBLE- CRATE, BOX, AND THE LIKE.

1,374,993. APPLICATION FILED APR. l0. I918- Apr. 19, 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- APPLICATION FILED APR-10,1918.

I. ELLIS.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE, BOX, AND THE LIKE.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- lidor cover.

. "U E star Ema JAMES ELLIS, or LoNDonr. ENGLAND.

' ooLLArsIBLE CRATE, ox, AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I,-JAMns ELLIS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing.

in the county of'London, England, have invented new and'useful Improvements relating to 1 Collapsible Crates, Boxes, and the like, of which the following is a specificatlOIl; i i

This invention relates to collapsible crates, boxes and similar articles of -trans-.

port and consists essentially of an improved construction of such devices whereby same are rendered capable of occupying little space in transit when empty and of ready erection when required foruse as containers of articles. A further.- improvement consists in rend'eringfa part-of the device capable of forming anon-detachable hinged According to this 7 to aerate the device comprises four rectan gularframe-likeparts eachof which is com-' posed of end piecesor bars joined by means of slats. Two of the rectangular parts are narrower than the other two andare adapted to fit within or between the end pieces or bars 'of the two widerl'pa'rts to whichthey areijoined byh'inge pins the said-pieces or bars being-joined together by intermediate bars 'or slats applied either'upon the inner or outer side thereof and having a capability of hinging attheir pointsof connection.

One pair of or'two opposing hinge pins are made detachable and upon removing-the same that endo'f the part isfreed and the articles into the crate orureceptacle- In constructing a collapsible box'on the same principle the "end pieces are joined by boards;v of suitable area and detachable boards take the place ofthe intermediate bars the latterboards being attached'by screws or other fixing means when the :parts have. been erectedin position. On'ofthe parts serves as a-hinged lid: or cover in a similar manner to that above'described in connec- 5 to be; capable of hinging at their points of Qn witha'crat In order that the invention may be readily. understood and-carried intoreffect I will proceedto'idescrlhe the sameymore partic-- Fig. 2 is a view showingthe crate colinvention when applied 7 V .lapsed.-

Fig. 12. is a plan of a form of hinge suit able for employment-in connection with the drawings in which Spebification ofLetters Patent. P t nts A 2 Application filed April 10, 1913. seri ainoqazaezt; Y

Figure 1 isa perspective view of a crate constructed in accordance with'the invenlapsed. v

F gs.-3-and 4: are respectively aside view a and a plan illustrating the parts which constitute the improved receptacle same being shown'ln connection witha box like structure. a

Fig. 5 is a sideview showing the said parts erected to form a box;

F g. v6 1s a transverse section and Fig. 7 a fragmentary, long1tudinal section on the lin'e 7''7-. of Fig. 6 of:a construction of crate in which detachable end pieces are a employed in place of the"intermediate-bars. Fig. '8 is an end view of a modified con struction of box. Y 5 Fig. 9-is' a fragmentary view? looking at the. right-hand side of Fig. 8;

Fig. 1'0 is'a view illustrating thearrangement of the parts and'jindicating. the mode 1 of hinging 'andfolding for transport when j :8 of the device colempty and for-erecting. F1g. 11 is an end view 1 Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the four rec tangular framesor partsare'indicated by end pieces or bars 1+1, 2 2, 33, 4 -4 i which are joined; by slats 5- sofconstituting the top, back, bottom and front o'f-the--crate.-

The'rectangular frames or parts ;11;,- 3'-3 are adapted to fit within ;or between the parts 2-2, to which-they are. attached a by --;-hinge pins 6. By making two-of the hinge pins detachable say for instance those -;at thepoints ar -a the frame 1 1 with the slats 5 may beturned about the other two hinge pins and be rendered capable'of i servlng as a hinged lid "or' cover. The

frame parts 2- 4'-at opposite sides of the structure are joined by intermediatefbars or slats 7 which are securedfby pins 8 so as sult of the mode of connecting and hinging thelpartsi the dev ce is capable o be ng .1?

lapsed so as to assume the flat or approximately flat condition indicated in Fig. 2

' where it will be seen that the frame parts at a, a as hereinbefore described the part 1 so freed may be turned back thereby enabling the crate to be loaded or filled and V to be afterward secured with ease and rapidity. Gratesso constructed may be used again and again so that considerable economy'is-effected in material and owing to thesmall spaceoccupied when collapsed the cost incidental to returninganumber of V crates 418/1101? exorbitant...

i In constructing box on the principle; just described-with reference to a-crate the.

stead of being joinedby slats 5 asin Figs.

. 1 and 2iare joinedby boards 9 Figs. 3-to '5 the parts 1j1 3-3 beingprovided with detachable boards 10 which serve to close the ends or sidesof the box. The detachable boards are necessaryin order to admit of collapsingftheframe, arts and the said boards are secured to t e respective bars pertaining to the parts by means'of screws or other suitable fixing devices.v 'The" dc tachab'le parts-10 are shown separate from the frame bars .1'1 3-3 in Fig. 4 holes for thereceptionjof screw pins or bolts being indicated at 1 1'(Figs. 3 an'd'4e) and the screw pins or the like'at12 ('Fig. 5). Upon removing 'the detachable boards 10" from theframe like: bars 11 33 the parts may be collapsed in a manner similar to thatshown and de'scribed with reference :to'

V the crate 2) with the exception as will beseen that the boards 10 are separate while the intermediate bars 7 remain integral with the frame parts. The arrangement of detachable hinge pins'as described in connection with the crateenables one'of arrangement necessitates the employment of detachable boards for closing the sides ofthe frame parts th'e erection of the device iscapable of expeditious accomplishment and a and safe closureaiforded with ample protectiom for articles inserted therein."

. A crate when' desired may beprovided" with detachable ends Figs. 6 and 7 in place of the hinged intermediate bars? In'that casethe ends whichmay beformedof transverse bafs l'Q-j and longitudinal slats "20 are inserted so that both'thebars 19 bearlater ally against thege'nd pieces orbars 2, 4 and the lower bar 19 takes a bearing .on the end junction ends of the frame parts which carry "tion may piece or bar 3. When the lid of cover is 10 are provided with dowel pins 13 which take into holes formed for their :reception' in thecorrespondingframe parts 3-3 or i in the boards -15.Which are secured to the said frame parts similar boards 14 being secured to the frame parts -22 and-4 4. In this construction 1 the .collapsibility is ohso tained by hinging the. parts so that in end i view they may-be bent or folded as. shown 1n Fig. 10 and then theparts pressed closer i,

together and superposed; to assume the flat condition shownin Fig. 11 the detachable end pieces or boardsl0 lO being placed between the parts 11 2-2 and -The frame parts are hingedfor the most part in a manner similar to the previously described giLIIZtIlQIQIfiGI'lfiS lexcept that 'fthe 1 1'3 3 andare shown :as constituting the" catedinFig; 11 theiniddle 'sectionor frame parts are jolned by hinges such as :16-c'on'1-l posed of approximately L sh apeplateshavi 111g" the pin or pivot .17; disposed inwardly s': away or remotefrom the adj acentouter' ore:

the plate portions of thehinge the arrange-z ment admitting. of meaning togetheriof 5 the'parts so as to present 'thecompactform shown in Fig. 11. The detachable boards; 10:? i in addition to the dowelpins 13. are secured in positionoby bolt's'18. which are. passed;

through the bars 4i-4s whenthei-parts Z areerected to form the box. v.gThelid-portion 5 1 say the frame parts 1'1, with the'b'oard' 15: I V is secured by detachable pins or bolts as pre- 1.1-0

viously described. This mode f of construcdesired.

In: Fig. 10 the arrows bb indicate thie motion of movement in order to collapsethe 1.

device themiddleparts'turning uponatheir- V hinges as will be ;readily. seen on referring; to the drawing. -;Havi1'1g turnedithe outer l parts upon their adjoiningmiddlegpartslthe V V whole device. may be. collapsed: so. asitohassume the positionshown inl'Fig. '11 the'wz boardsjlObeing accommodatedfintthe"spaces .41 between the said outer, and middle parts. To erectthel device so as tocauseithe'same to; V assume the formof a box .theouterparts are- Z turned in the direction indicated by the are? 7 rows c oY the middle portionsrbeing openedout so as to assume a'rightiangle. jThusthe 5' frame'part' 17- 1 with the boards15"becon1es i say the top the parti2-e2' with board '14::the-

wider frame parts are those indicated by. f

obviously be-appjlied' :to crate if back the part 3-3 the bottom and the part 44 the front. The boards 1010 are then placed in position to form the sides or ends of the box and secured as before described by means of the dowel pins '13 and bolts 18. A very firm and substantial structure is hereby obtained and owing to its collapsibility and portability is capable of service again and again a considerable economy being efiected in material time and labor.

The hinge 16 is shown detached in Fig. 12 from which it will be seen that the construction comprises two approximately L-shape plates 21, 21 adapted for being secured to the desired frame parts by screws or other fixing means the hinge or pivot pin 17 being set away from the outer angles of the plates so as to permit of a longer heel or butt as regards the frame parts at the back of the hinge pin thereby enabling the frame parts to readily assume the various attitudes nec essary in erecting or collapsing the device.

It will thus be seen that when the device is compactly folded or collapsed the formabetween the bars of the frame parts to which the hinge plates are secured.

What I claim is In a collapsible crate the combination of a frame comprising four rectangular parts forming top, bottom and side portions the top .being adapted to serve as a lid or cover for the crate, each rectangular part being formed of two spaced bars connected by slats the extremities of the bars of the top and bottom portions fitting between the extremities of the bars of the side portions; hinges for connecting said portions to each other whereby said portions may be laid in a flat condition or folded upon eachother one pair of said hinges being detachable; and etachable end parts formed of spaced bars connected by slats said bars bearing laterally against the bars of the side portions, the lower bars of said end parts bearing on the bars of the bottom portion while the upper bars of said end parts serve as rests for the bars of the top or lid portion when said top or lid portion is in the closed position, the end parts being detachably secured to said frame.

JAMES. ELLIS. 

